Medical Malpractice, The Civil Defensive Division Of Alabama

The Civil Defensive Division represents the United States, its agencies and employees at the trial and appellate levels in a wide variety of civil actions in federal and state courts. These AUSAs frequently defend employment discrimination cases, personal injury actions, medical malpractice claims arising out of treatment at a Veterans' Hospital or other federally-supported health facilities, challenges to agency determinations such as the denial of social security disability benefits, and decisions by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to deport or detain aliens.

The division is also responsible for a broad range of other matters, including requests to amend records under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, appeals and/or challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act, defense of government officials sued in their individual capacities, and motions to quash subpoenas that fail to comply with applicable federal regulations. While the bulk of litigation against the United States is filed in federal court, some cases are filed in state courts throughout Alabama. There is a tremendous volume of lawsuits generated in the Northern District of Alabama against the United States. Some of these include branches of the Department of the Treasury, Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Postal Service. Alabama is home to a federal penitentiary and a Veterans Administration Medical Center.